Sounds about right to me.

2009-11-05T21:38:46.853-05:00

I think that the blueprint for how this fight goes...

2009-11-05T16:53:11.371-05:00

I think that the blueprint for how this fight goes down for Antonio Silva comes from the Ricco Rodriguez fight. Werdum is a better grappler, and definitely more in shape, than "Ricco Suave," so the razor-thin decision that Silva was able to secure won't be there.

From Werdum's perspective, though, the fight could mirror the second Gonzaga tilt, but I believe that Silva's speed and athleticism provide a different threat than GG's raw power, and Werdum struggled with the more athletic Arlovski. Even still, there remain questions about Bigfoot's chin, and while Werdum won't be mistaken for his former training partners CroCop or Wanderlei Silva anytime soon (pimp-slaps FTW!), he can hold his own.

I think that the fight comes down to cardio. Silva pushes the pace early, but fending off Werdum's submission attempts wears him down, and the second and third rounds descend into weak grappling and sloppy standup, with Werdum taking the decision. Sadly, we'll be deprived of a dynamic finish, and neither fighter will capture the imagination of casual fans. I predict a 3.2 on the MMA Ratings Scale.

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Sounds about right to me.

I think that the blueprint for how this fight goes...